The NBA Finals reminded me that David Robinson plays piano. I vaguely remember an article about an NFL player who wrote poetry. I think Ian Bishop was working on a children's book (when he was with Miami). There are probably other pro athletes who have some interest in the arts beyond hollywood and pop music. Who are they?
There was a commercial years ago which featured Bernie Williams (OF, NYYankees) playing classical guitar. And Shaquille O'Neill has published several collections of haiku, and Mike Tyson is well known for his watercolors... PS One of the above is true. Try to guess which one...
Desmond Mason of the Milwauke Bucks,the former slam dunk champion actually got scholarship offers for both basketball and art.He's a pretty good painter I here.In fact some of his work hangs in the NBA's main offices.
I'm going to be way more vague than I'd like to be here, and hopefully someone will fill in the blanks, but there's a football player for either the Giants or the Jets who will, for fun, play music in the subways of New York, where he's hardly ever recognized as a pro athlete. Saw a report on him when I was in New York between Christmas and New Years of last year, and can't remember his name, his team, or even his instrument. But it was a pretty interesting show, especially since he wasn't impressed with his talent. And of course, we have to remember Alexi Lalas and his guitar work.
I'm not certain but I think that was Dhani Jones of the New York Giants. I probably passed by him at Times Square and never noticed. Didn't he have some sort of homemade harp? Other athletes: - Former Suns and Kings forward Wayman Tisdale has a career as a jazz musician - John McEnroe had a gallery and he got decent reviews. Don't know if he still does. - Grant Hill, even though he's not much of an athlete any more, is a decent pianist, iirc. - Vince Carter was in the marching band in high school and wrote the school anthem/fight song.
Have to say - of all athlete/artists, he's the most impressive I've seen. Very well respected bassist in the music industry.
That's the guy, and I think that's his instrument, too. I saw him on TV and the first quote out of his mouth made him sound like an idiot (he was comparing the brushwork on a painting of a flower to a smooth backhand) but by the end of the piece, he was coming across as someone who knew what he was talking about. I think the show was CBS Sunday Morning, back in the Charles Karult era.
I've got his debut album somewhere in my office. Good stuff if you like that type of jazz. I know Mia Hamm has written some poetry. Doesn't Kobe play a mean piano? I think there was some NBA'er that wrote children's books.